The office of former President Lee Myung-bak threatened to take legal action Sunday against a weekly over an article that alleged Lee laundered prize money he received from the United Arab Emirates.The office expressed deep regret and demanded Weekly Hankook take "appropriate steps" over its report uploaded on its website Saturday that said Lee laundered $500,000 through Nonghyup Bank, a local banking unit of state-run Nonghyup Financial Inc."We have no choice but to take legal action unless rea

An Indian diplomat at the center of a bitter row with the United States told Sunday of her "immense stress" at leaving behind her young family in New York, and vowed to clear her name.Indian consulate official Devyani Khobragade was allowed to leave the United States on Friday after a month-long dispute over her arrest and strip search on suspicion of visa fraud involving her domestic servant.Khobragade was granted full diplomatic immunity and allowed to fly back to India -- just hours after cha

Israel prepared to pay its respects Sunday to Ariel Sharon, both admired and reviled for his uncompromising style and whose death drew emotional reactions even after eight years in a coma.Celebrated as a military hero by some, recognized as a pragmatic politician by others and despised as a bloodthirsty criminal by his foes, Sharon was a polarizing figure at home and abroad.But Israelis of all stripes acknowledged Sharon as a key figure in their country's history, whose death at 85 on Saturday l

한 남성 환자의 귓속에서 길이 약 2센티미터에 달하는 바퀴벌레가 발견되어 세간에 충격을 주고 있다. 헨드릭 헬머라는 이 남성은 호주 북쪽 다윈 시의 교외에 거주하는 것으로 알려졌으며, “뭔가가 귓속으로 기어들어가는 듯한 느낌을 받은 이후로 4일간 귀에서 극심한 통증이 느껴졌다고 현지 언론에 밝혔다.헬머는 귓 속 이물질이 독거미일 것으로 보고 진공청소기로 흡입하거나 물을 주입해 벌레가 나오도록 유도했지만 모두 실패했다. 결국 룸메이트에 이끌려 병원을 찾은 헬머는 의사가 자신의 귀 속에서 약 3/4인치에 달하는 커다란 바퀴벌레를 꺼내 보여주자 경악을 금치 못했다. 이 여의사는 헬머의 귀에 올리브 오일을 부어 바퀴벌레를 죽인 후, 핀셋으로 집어낸 것으로 밝혀졌다.헬머는 해당 사건 후 자신의 친구들이 수면시 귀마개나 헤드폰을 착용하기 시작했지만, 자신은 그럴 생각이 전혀 없다고 호주 매체와의 인터뷰에서 말했다. 코리아헤럴드 정주원 기자 / joowonc@heraldcorp<관련 영문 기사>

The daily turnover in South Korea's exchange-traded funds market jumped 46 percent last year as investors moved to safer and profitable destinations amid low interest rates, data showed Sunday.The average daily trading volume of ETFs came to 793 billion won ($747 million) last year, compared with 544 billion won a year earlier, according to the data compiled by bourse operator Korea Exchange.An ETF refers to an investment fund traded on stock exchanges and represents a basket of stocks that refl

South Korea's tea imports spiked last year as demand increased for healthy and diet foods, customs data showed Sunday.According to the data by Korea Customs Service, South Korea imported 8,234 tons of tea last year, up 97 percent from 4,171 tons imported in 2009.The imports were valued at $48.38 million, which represented a 187 percent rise from the $16.86 million tallied four years earlier, the data showed.Imports of yerba mate tea surged from 47 tons in 2009 to 446 tons in 2013, while those of

South Korea's exports of food and agricultural products rose slightly from a year earlier in 2013 as a steep gain in shipments of fresh foodstuff more than offset a drop in shipments of processed goods, the government said Sunday.In 2013, the country's outbound shipments of agricultural products amounted to $5.72 billion, up 1.4 percent from 2013, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.Shipments of fresh foodstuff, such as fruits and vegetables, surged 9.4 percent on-ye

South Korea issued a record amount of government bonds last year as part of efforts to kick-start the economy and finance its welfare projects, data showed Sunday.According to the data by the Korea Financial Investment Association and Dongbu Securities Co., state bonds worth an all-time high of 135.7 trillion won ($128 billion) were floated last year, up 21.4 percent from the previous year.The amount of state bonds issued per year has been growing sharply since 2011, when it breached the 100 tri

South Korea's machinery, steel and automobile industries could bear the brunt of the yen's prolonged weakness as it undercuts their price competitiveness in overseas markets, a central bank report showed Sunday.The yen has been losing ground sharply against the U.S. dollar, helping enhance price competitiveness of Japanese products. This raises concerns that South Korea's exports could be negatively affected as many of its products compete with their Japanese rivals in the global market."The slu

The state auditor plans to launch a special inspection of the nation's financial watchdog next week in connection with its oversight of a family-controlled conglomerate accused of fraud and malpractice in issuing bonds, a source said Sunday.Tong Yang Group, the 38th-largest conglomerate in South Korea, is suspected of selling debts worth around 2 trillion won ($1.89 billion) to investors without fully informing them of its repayment conditions and default risks."The Board of Audit and Inspection

South Korea's financial authorities will resume their on-site inspection this week into the Tokyo branch of Kookmin Bank suspected of extending illegal loans and creating slush funds, industry sources said Sunday.The Tokyo branch of South Korea's leading bank has been investigated over suspicions that it extended about 400 billion won ($376.9 million) worth of illegal loans to Japan-based firms to secure returns, some of which were later used to amass slush funds here in Korea.The Financial Supe

The success of Kakao Talk, the most used mobile instant messaging service in Korea, has brought forth fast imitators as well as new players offering their own set of features for tech-savvy consumers.As Kakao Talk and Internet giant Naver’s Line grabbed a large share of the mass market, leaving no room for others to squeeze in and steal their thunder, a number of followers including Joyn, created by the country’s three telecom operators, have quickly lost their potential.Madsmart’s Tic Toc (acqu